Just Married
by Deceptive Lies
Summary: When Naruto is told that she has only two months to get married, or risk losing her chance to be Hokage, she's completely furious, and confused. After all, who will she find to marry in such short time? Thankfully, her secret best friend Sasuke is in pretty much the same boat... FemNaru/Sasu
1. A Stupid, Stupid Idea

"What?" That was the only word that could be uttered by the shell-shocked Naruto, as she stood in her father's office.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I really am. I tried everything to overturn their decision, but it's out of my hands." Minato told his daughter with a grimace. Standing to the side was a strangely reserved Kushina. She had argued for hours against the council, but to no avail.

"So let me get this straight, unless I marry within the next two months, I can't be a Hokage candidate?" Naruto asked, beyond shocked.

"Well, not exactly."

"Then what? What is going on? Why did the council decide to this?!"

"Naruto, you have declined marriage proposal after marriage proposal, each and every one of which would have strengthened our ties with foreign nations, and or brought more income and peace to the village. As the daughter of the Hokage, you have a chance to make some really big changes, if married to the right family. However, your refusals keep hindering it. The council is sick of it, and demand that you be wed within the next two months." Minato explained.

"But-but-but, they can't do that! I refuse!" Naruto exclaimed in anger.

"I know sweetie, but the fact of the matter is, they can. Even being the Hokage's daughter won't change that. You could always refuse, your mother and I would never hold it against you, but as you know, it's the council that chooses the Hokage candidates, and it is wise to be in their good favor."

"But marriage?! I can't get married, I still have so much I want to do in my life! And I especially don't want to get married to some foreign ninja. How will I be Hokage if I live in another village?" Naruto ranted.

"I know Naru-chan, trust me, I know. And I hate to do this to you, my very own daughter, but I suggest you take some time to think about it, really consider all of your options."

Disheartened, and with a frown that stretched for miles, Naruto looked at her father, only to find unshed tears in his eyes. "Thanks dad. Just so you know, while this situation is horrible, I don't blame you or mom. I know you guys did the best you could."

"We love you Naruto." Said Kushina with a bitter smile on her face.

Exiting the room, Naruto headed straight for Ichiraku, she had some thinking to do.

* * *

Old man Ichiraku was used to seeing his favorite customer on a daily basis, but never once, in the last 18 years, has he ever seen her so depressed. The frown was prevalent on her face as she used her chopsticks to absent-mindedly stir the Raman.

"Naruto? Are you ok?" He asked, worried for her health.

"I need some sake. Now." Naruto practically demanded, with a stubborn look on her face. Surprised, but willing to do anything to help his favorite blond, he poured her a cup of sake, and watched as Naruto downed it faster than humanly possible.

Naruto was having a strange dilemma. Either she married some random stranger, or ruin her chances of ever becoming Hokage. Becoming Hokage was all she had ever dreamed about, ever since she was a child, and would spend all her days in her fathers office. She had worked hard her entire life to make that dream come true, yet here she was at the ripe age of 18, and forced to make the hardest decision of her life: marriage to some random guy she will probably hate, or crushing her dreams?

But Naruto wasn't ready for marriage. Heck, she's never given much thought to boys in general. While Sakura, Ino, and the rest of the girls were fangirling over one Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto was busy training for the day she can prove herself as Hokage material. Currently, she was one of the strongest Jonin Konoha had to offer. As a sage, the current Jinchuuriki, and the leading Fuinjitsu master, Naruto was a force to be reckoned with. Frankly, the only other person with a reputation as fearsome as hers was her biggest, and most annoying rival: Sasuke Uchiha. Thankfully, he had no interest in the position, he was too busy making sure he was one step ahead of his genius older brother, Itachi.

Her father, the current and fourth Hokage, was still very powerful. But after his wife Kushina gave birth to Naruto, there by loosening her seal, he had to quickly seal the Kyuubi into a baby Naruto. It left him close to death, but since then, he's been as strong as ever. But serving almost 20 years as Hokage was a tiring job, and Minato was ready to pass on the hat to the next generation.

All in all, Naruto was a shoe in for the position of Hokage. But the council just had to throw her a curve ball. How was she supposed to find a suitable husband in two months?!

* * *

It was official, Sasuke decided, the world was out to get him. "I'm sorry father, run that by me again?"

Fugaku sighed, before explaining once more to his youngest, and most temperamental son, "Look Sasuke. I know you want a place at the family council, but it is tradition that only married men of the Uchiha family are allowed access to the council. I'm sorry son."

"But Itachi was offered a position when he was 18!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Yes, however Itachi was already engaged at the time or do you not recall?"

Sasuke scowled, "I recall just fine father. However, a seat on the council will elevate my status as a Uchiha member, as well as give me access to the hidden scrolls we have on improving the sharingan. Surely, the fact that I have the Mangekyo will allow me to glance upon these scrolls? I need to learn how to control my eyes better, so that I don't, oh I don't know, go blind perhaps?"

Fugaku winced at the reminder of his sons accursed eyes. Only a year previous, Sasuke was forced to kill his client in an act of mercy. "I'm sorry son, perhaps if you were to finally find a girl to settle down with, like your mother has been wanting, you will finally be offered a position at the council. Until then, put this matter to rest."

With a scowl on his face, Sasuke stomped out of the Uchiha district.

* * *

Somehow, Sasuke ended up the same place he always did when he was angry, Ichiraku Raman. Now, he wasn't always close to the Namikaze heir by any instance, on the contrary, in the academy they fought quite often, and proclaimed each other eternal rivals. When they graduated, Sasuke was apprenticed by his father Fugaku, while Naruto was taken under the wing of her god father, Jiraya the sannin. They rarely saw each other at all, until the chunnin exams, where sometime during the second stage, they were forced to work together to come out victorious. It was then that the Hokage realized how well they worked together as a team, and so a year later, when both Naruto and Sasuke signed up for the ANBU, they were made partners. Raven and Fox were a terrifying duo, that complimented each other perfectly, and stroke fear into the hearts of many. Other than the Hokage, no one knew of their identities, and it helped them stay under the radar. Due to their many, many missions together, they became good friends, not the either would ever admit it. Most importantly, they became each others confidante, when Naruto was sick of her father coddling her, she'd rant to Sasuke, when the Uchiha was furious at his brother, he's complain to his blond friend. So today, like many other days where he was in a fowl mood, he made his way to the one place he was certain that Naruto would be.

Arriving at the raman bar, Sasuke was dejected at seeing that his friend looked even more depressed then he did. Taking his seat silently, he asked, "What's got you mad?"

"The council is making me get married. You?"

"My father is making me get married."

Sharing a long look at one another, these secretly close friends simultaneously smiled. Slipping onto one knee, Sasuke asked, "Naruto Namikaze, will you marry me?"


	2. Damn Brilliant Uchiha

" _Naruto Namikaze, will you marry me?"_

20 minutes and a lot of laughter later, Naruto and Sasuke were finally calm enough to actually start discussing it seriously. "Are we actually going to do this Teme?"

Sasuke's smile turned almost sad, "Do we have much of a choice?"

Naruto grimaced, "No. I don't think we do."

"Yeah…"

"So why do you have to be tied down?"

"In order to be on the Uchiha family council, I have to be a married man. And I _need_ to be on the council; that way I have access to the elder files on the Sharingan."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization, "The Mangekyo, huh?"

"Basically. I'm not exactly looking forward to going blind. What about you?"

"The Konoha council. Apparently, I've said no to one too many proposals."

"At least we're on the same boat."

"This is insane Sasuke. Absolutely insane. We can't just get married!"

"Naru… Marriage isn't easy. Even if it _were_ on our own terms. I don't know about you Dobe, but if I had to get married, I'm glad it's at least to someone I actually get along with. And frankly, you're the only person I actually get along with."

Naruto smiled shyly at her friend, "I'm glad too, could be worse. Like marrying some random weirdo who proposes to get close to my father."

Sasuke smirked, the mirth sparkling in his eyes, "Remember the poor boy from last month?"

Naruto burst out in laughter, almost choking on the ramen she was still scarfing down, "Oh Kami, I've never seen anyone run so fast in my entire life!"

The Uchiha shrugged, "That's what he gets for insinuating that he could help protect you. He; a civilian stuck-up noble. You; a jonin of the highest caliber and member of the ANBU."

Naruto wiped away her tears, "Well I appreciated your help on that little plan. He really wasn't taking no for an answer."

"What are partners for?"

"Partners in more way than one now. I can't believe we're actually doing this. We're actually getting married Sasuke."

Sasuke let out a chuckle, "It looks like we are. So, what's the plan?"

Naruto sighed deeply, "Well it has to be within two months, that's the deadline council gave me."

"So soon?"

"We're gonna have to be married anyways, what's the difference between two months or two years? Plus, you need those files Sasuke, I'm not about to let my favorite teammate go crippled."

"You're right. It's not exactly the part I'm worried about though."

Fear crawled into Naruto's eyes, "Oh Kami, how are we going to tell everybody? My Dad is going to kill you. And then Sakura and Ino will kill _me_!"

The Uchiha groaned, "We're not going to survive this, are we?"

"Nope!" Naruto grinned, "Hey Sasuke… Do we tell people that this… is… well you know… arranged, kind of?"

Sasuke shuffled a little in his place, "I don't think we should Naru."

Naruto stared at her friend, realizing the truth behind his statement, "I think you're right. If the council believes that I'm marrying for love, they'll accept it and stop pressuring me to create bonds with foreign delegates."

"And don't forget how everyone would react. No one would let us go through with this if they knew it was forced on us… well sort of forced."

"Yeah you have a point. Despite my father knowing I have to get married soon, he would literally kill you if he knew it was because we were both desperate. Honestly though he'll probably kill you anyways."

"My mother will also prefer me marrying for love. I'm afraid that if she thought otherwise, she'll do something drastic."

The blond Uzumaki smiled, "My mother would probably be the same."

"Your mother terrifies me."

"Believe me, your family is much more terrifying."

"Are you kidding me? Your father is the Hokage, who is convinced you'll stay a nun forever by the way, and your mother is wilder than you are."

"Your family has no emotions other than intimidation."

The two friends stared at each other for a few moments in silence, before bursting out in laughter. Their situation was just so ridiculous.

Naruto wiped a few tears of laughter away, "Hey Sasuke, will we be ok?"

Sasuke smiled hopefully, "Yeah Naru, we're going to be ok."

* * *

Minato Namikaze was the Fourth Hokage; one of the most feared men in the world, and the only ninja with a "Flee on Sight" command in the bingo books. Despite his reputation and strength, no one in the world could terrify him like his wife, the all-formidable Kushina. Ever since they met at the academy, the young hot-blooded girl would terrorize the blond as often as possible, so Minato quickly learned to avoid and run whenever the Uzumaki was in one of her moods.

So, when his red-haired terror of a wife burst into his office only a mere three hours after their sullen meeting with their daughter, the esteemed Hokage ducked under his desk and mountains of paperwork.

"Minato, I know you're hiding under the table. Come. Out. _Now!_ " Kushina growled.

Minato chuckled nervously, slowing peeking up from his hiding place, "Yes my dear?"

Kushina stalked towards the desk, before plopping down onto the seat in front of him in anger and unconcealed frustration, "What are we going to do about Naruto? We can't let the council pressure her like this!"

The Yondaime sighed, "We've exhausted every possible option. Our daughter… is _beautiful_." He said the word painfully, as if the very idea of men being interested in his progeny was hurting him deeply, "She's been getting proposals since she was a genin; a genin, Kushina! The very fact that we were able to stall the council for this long is nothing short of amazing."

"I know that Minato!" Kushina exclaimed, running her hand through her hair, "But she's still so young!"

"She's a jonin. And in the ANBU. As much as I hate to admit it, our daughter is a woman."

"But marriage? To some random guy none the less? Naruto deserves romance, and love, and a fairytale ending! She deserves a love like ours! Not an arranged marriage to some merchant's son in Suna!"

"Do you think I wanted this!? Naruto is my _little girl_! The _last_ thing I want is to get her married, especially now. But if we don't, then all of Naruto's dreams, all of her hopes, aspirations and struggles would be gone to waste. If Naruto doesn't get married within the next two months, she will never be Hokage."

"This isn't fair."

"I know Kushina… I know."

* * *

"So, whose head do you think will implode first; my fathers or yours?" Naruto asked, taking a lick from her ice-cream cone.

Sasuke chuckled as they walked side by side in the forest of death; their favorite place to train and hang out. No one ever went there other than them; after all, no one was suicidal enough to ever get caught in the middle of Raven and Fox's training sessions. "It's hard to say. Perhaps it would be simultaneous."

"Perhaps. So Teme, how are we going to do this?"

Sasuke gave a sound of acknowledgment, before replying, "Well, we need to tell everyone soon, that way the wedding will be able to be ready in two months."

"True. So we'll have to get our families in the same room together in order to break the news. I was thinking you could convince your parents to invite my family over for dinner; since our moms are friends- which makes this whole thing easier by the way."

"It's our fathers who don't get along. It should be fun."

"Very fun. Now we just have to decide on what to actually tell them."

"You see I've been thinking: we'll just keep it simple. We're friends and have been getting closer. We've been seeing each other for a while now, and that's the reason I never went on any of those Kami-annoying blind dates my mom has tried to set me on, and why you never gave any of those proposals any thought."

Naruto smiled at the raven-haired boy, "That's perfect. But our parents still think we hate each other, and it's not like we can tell them that we've been ANBU partners for the last four years. Other than my dad, no one can know our identities."

"We can just say that we struck up an odd friendship at the chunin exams, which is true, and that ever since, we've been put on a lot of missions together because of our complimenting skill set."

"And father would have to back us up because he _has_ sent us on countless missions together; just as Raven and Fox instead of our actual identities. Brilliant."

Sasuke smirked infuriatingly, "Aren't I always Dobe?"

"Oh shut up Teme."

* * *

Itachi was a smart man. He knew very well that his title as a prodigy was well-earned, and so he himself knew to trust in his own intelligence. Itachi also knew his brother very well. So when Sasuke came home later than usual with an odd smile on his face, Itachi knew something was up.

"I heard about your discussion with father this morning."

Sasuke turned to look at his perceptive older brother, "Which discussion?"

"The one about the family council."

"Hn."

"Sasuke, you know that if I could give you the scrolls you needed to help your eyesight, I would, right?"

The younger brother looked at Itachi in gratitude. It wasn't Itachi's fault he couldn't access the files. After all, only those who have activated the Mangekyo could read the files pertaining to them, and Sasuke is the only Uchiha in over a century to be "blessed" with those accursed eyes. "I know brother, I know. But it doesn't change the fact that unless I become a full member of the council, and soon, I will go blind."

Itachi winced at the painful reminder of his brothers' fate, "Just… Please try to be careful, ok?"

"When am I ever not careful? I'll be fine brother; I promise."


	3. A Peculiar Invitation

Ino chuckled as she watched her friends take yet another shot of tequila. She had quite a long shift today; working as an apprentice under the Department of Torture and Interrogation caused her social life to rapidly diminish, so she was happy to have a chance to catch up with all of her friends. At this point, the young jonin was just desperate for a chance to sit back and relax.

The bar was packed tonight, most of the Konoha Eleven were in attendance. Neji, Lee, and Tenten were over by the counter, partaking in a pretty intense drinking game. Shikamaru and Shino were having a quiet conversation in a corner, while Kiba and Choji were having a trail mix eating competition.

Sakura sat next to Ino, the two girls both visibly tired, "Say, Sakura, how's the Hospital treating you?" The blonde asked her oldest friend and rival.

Sakura smiled slightly, exhaustion clearly seen across her features, "Tsunade is working me into the ground. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it, but Kami I need a break."

Ino tilted her glass towards the pink-haired medic, "Oh trust me, I understand you exactly. I remember that there was once a time in my life where I thought it would be fun to work with my father." Sakura snorted as Ino continued, "Well that fantasy was quickly destroyed. I'm _exhausted_."

Sakura laughed, "Ugh, I _completely_ get you. Remember after we graduated? How excited I was to actually be apprenticed to _the_ Tsunade Senju? Who would have thought that it would have resulted in me having absolutely zero social life?"

Ino groaned, slamming her head onto the table, "Forehead, we're 18. Eight-freaking-teen. And never, _never_ had we had a single date! We are both going to die alone."  
The medic sighed, "I always thought that we'd at _least_ have a solid relationship by now."

"Preferably with Sasuke-kun," Ino muttered quietly.

Sakura blushed. It was quite pathetic, they knew. It's been years since their childish days in the academy, yet still they were in love with one Sasuke Uchiha. What started out as fan-girling has turned into what was now a deep infatuation. No longer would they scream at the top of their lungs for him, and the girls were glad to say that they patched up their friendship. Yet, despite their best intentions, the girls were unequivocally in love with him.

At first they thought that their feelings for the Uchiha was starting to fade. Ino was busy with Team 10, training under Asuma-sensei, and later, once reaching chunin, under the Department of Torture and Interrogation. Sakura was also detached from the rest of their peers, working day and night in the hospital. Without constant exposure to Sasuke, their feelings began to wane, until both females were quite convinced that they no longer harbored a crush on the talented pyromaniac. Until they were 15 and the Uchiha came back from his training trip.

Sasuke came back to the forefront of their minds like a hurricane, cutting into their subconscious like a well timed chidori. He was stronger than ever, and paralleling that, he was handsomer than ever; switching out his white shorts for tighter, long black pants. But crazier than all that? He was even _nicer_. Now he wasn't a sweet man by any definition of the word, but he had a begrudging politeness that seemed infinitely better than his previous attitude. He had stopped ignoring his peers, even partaking in a few bar nights with them. It was this new attitude, coupled with his heightened attractiveness, that made all the Konoha women fall for him once more.

Ino shook her head in exasperation, "So what are the chances that Sasuke might actually notice us this time around?"

Sakura chuckled in self-deprecation, "Absolutely none. He would never look twice at us. We've been after him for years, yet he has never made a single indication that he likes either of us."

Ino groaned, "I'm starting to think he's asexual."

"That," Sakura started, "Actually explains a lot."

* * *

Sasuke winced as he was thrown onto his back. Again. For the third time this day.

Naruto laughed from her position on top of him, "And I win again! That's 3 for 5, I'm in the lead!"

The Uchiha frowned, "Only because you cheated Dobe."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"DID NOT!"

"Did too."

"Ugh how are you always so calm?" Naruto groaned.

Sasuke smirked, "It's a gift."

Naruto rolled her eyes, "Great, I'm marrying a narcissist."

"No, you're marrying the only guy who can keep up with you," Sasuke responded with a candid smile.

"Well that's certainly true."

"Hey Dobe?"

"Yeah Teme?"

Sasuke's brow raised in amusement, "As much as I enjoy having you on top of me, I didn't know we had _that_ type of engagement."

Naruto yelped as she leaped off of her fiancé, "Why didn't you remind me sooner?!"

Sasuke chuckled, "Even I'm not stupid enough to tell a hot blond to get off me that quickly."

Naruto blushed as she turned away from her friend, "You're an idiot."

Sasuke continued to laugh as he got into fighting position, "Round 6. Let's go."

An angered Naruto snarled as she too got into position, "Get ready to get your ass kicked."

* * *

Naruto fidgeted under the scrutiny of her parents. She never did well under direct pressure. "Well, I'm just gonna leave now. So… Thursday? Yeah Thursday sounds good. Okay bye," And with that nervous stammering, the young blond ran out of the house.

"And _why_ should we invite the Uchiha main branch into our home?" Minato asked in confusion. As far as he knew, his daughter hated the Uchihas, having heard her curse them out on multiple occasions. So for Naruto to randomly ask her parents to invite the stuck up family, something must be going on.

Kushina rolled her eyes, "Stop being suspicious, Naruto probably just realized the importance of having the backing of the big Konoha clans. She _does_ want to be Hokage after all."

The Yellow Flash sighed, "I suppose you're right. I just can't believe that our little girl is already trying to succeed my position."

"That is if the council even lets her," The Uzumaki frowned as she rose from her seat and began pacing, "I just can not believe that they put Naruto into a position like this! To _force_ our only daughter to get married… To force her to secure alliances with major clans just so that she has even a _sliver_ of a chance. It's not fair."

Minato groaned, "We've been over this Kushina. It's either marriage, or her never getting a chance to be Hokage. I just hope she can live knowing her dream has never been fulfilled."

"Naruto's a strong girl. She can get through this, I just know it."

* * *

"…Why?"

Sasuke didn't fidget as he stared down his father, "It was a personal invite from the Hokage, father. It would be remiss to decline."

Fugaku frowned as he ran a hand down his face, "I suppose you're right. However it does not explain why the Hokage felt it prudent to invite the family over for dinner."

Sasuke shrugged, "It is a well known fact that his daughter wants to be Hokage. Perhaps this is all a political move to secure the backing of the major Konoha clans."

"That would explain the odd invitation," The Uchiha patriarch admitted, "Yet a dinner is not synonymous as to our approval for the candidate. The Namikaze girl is young, headstrong, brash, and more importantly, she comes from the same family line as _Minato._ That's enough reason for us to place our support in another candidate."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, " _Perhaps_ , her headstrong qualities is exactly what makes her perfect for the hat. She would be strict in both foreign and domestic policies, a platform the Uchiha family greatly supports."

Fugaku raised a brow incredulously, "I wasn't aware that you were this… _fond_ over the Namikaze spawn."

Sasuke hid a cringe, "I'm not fond of her father, I'm merely pointing out the logic of placing Naruto as Hokage."

"What about you Sasuke? You are just as powerful as the girl, why are you not vying for the hat? With you as Hokage, the Uchiha family can finally be elevated to a status befitting our legacy," Fugaku mentioned.

Sasuke sneered at the thought. Years ago, when Sasuke was just a boy, the political landscape was in turmoil between the major clans, a seed of distrust towards the Uchiha clan specifically was widely spread. It came to a boiling point, where his father even began contemplating a coup d'etat. Thankfully, Minato noticed the friction, and was able to smooth over the domestic tensions, resulting in a wide spread peace that hasn't been present since the founding of Konoha. Fugaku still hated Minato though, albeit that began from their academy days.

"I have no interest in being Hokage father, you know this."

The elder Uchiha sighed, "I recall, I just hoped that you might have changed your mind."

Sasuke resisted the urge to role his eyes, keeping his countenance stoic, "We are expected to be present at the Namikaze household on Thursday at six. I advise you give more thought to the idea of backing up Naruto, she's more fit for the role than you might think."


	4. An Announcement Over Tea

Naruto was certain that the anxiety was going to kill her. Already she had chewed her nails down to the skin, small trickles of blood falling from the tips of her fingers before Kurama quickly healed the torn layer. She had changed her outfit several times, switching between traditional clothing and more shinobi-esque uniforms before finally settling on a pale orange sundress that reached her knees. She couldn't recall ever spending so much time caring about what she wore, the bright 'kill-me-now' orange jumpsuit from her genin days being a strong testament to this fact. However this dinner was important. Really important. And frankly, she didn't exactly know what type of outfit was appropriate for springing a surprise engagement on her family.

She twisted the ends of her hair nervously as she helped her mother set the dinner table, lending an ear to her talkative parent while simultaneously trying not to picture every way this night could go wrong.

"Wow, you look beautiful," Minato announced as he walked through the front doors, his bright blue eyes taking in the appearance of his usually Tom-boy daughter.

Naruto grinned as she hugged her father, "Thanks dad."

The Fourth Hokage scrunched up his nose in distaste, "Although isn't it a but much for a casual dinner with the Uchiha's?"

"Nonsense," Kushina slapped her husbands shoulder, "Naruto looks wonderful. Her outfit is perfectly appropriate for the occasion. After all, I'm certain she has a reason for bringing us together like this."

"A- a reason?" Naruto stammered, sweat pooling down her back as she avoided direct eye contact with her parents, "What possible reason could I have for this?"

Kushina giggled softly, "Oh come on Naruto, we're old, we're not idiots."

"You're not?" Naruto asked in trepidation, before correcting herself, "I mean, of course you're not idiots. But uh… what do you think you know?"

Kushina blinked slowly, "You want to establish an alliance with a strong clan of course. After all, if you have the Uchiha's backing, you'll have a higher chance of becoming Hokage without even having to marry anyone!"

Naruto sighed in relief, "Yup! Yes! That's exactly what's happening. Totally. 100 percent."

Minato grimaced as he too began helping to set the table, "You know Naruto, while I commend you and your plan, it's not liable to work. Even if you had the backing of every shinobi clan in Konoha, there's still the civilian council to think of."

Naruto smiled bitterly, "I know dad, but I have to at least try, right?"

* * *

Sasuke took a deep breath as he knocked on the door. He may as well enjoy his last few moments of being alive, for his death was inevitably far too soon. A beautiful red-head opened the door, a grin stretched wide across her face as she enthusiastically hugged the Uchiha matriarch, "Mikoto I'm so glad you're here!"

Mikoto smiled jovially as she returned the affection, "Hello Kushina, it's always a pleasure to be in your presence."

Fugaku felt a sneer crawl onto his features as he watched his beloved wife acting so friendly with the enemy. It wasn't that he didn't like Kushina, quite the opposite actually. While they were in the academy, he had a high respect and deep friendship with the peculiar girl who knew how to put Minato in his place. If only said girl didn't marry the bumbling idiot, he was certain they would have stayed close friends, especially considering her deep friendship with his wife.

Alas, the idiot himself made an appearance, "Welcome to our home! Please come in."

"Hello Namikaze," Fugaku coldly greeted as he entered the threshold of the lions den.

"Fugaku," Minato greeted with a strained smile, "Good to see you."

Before blood could be spilled this early in the evening, Sasuke intervened, "Hello Hokage-sama, thank you for the invitation and for allowing us into your home."

"Oh Kami," Kushina exclaimed, "You have gotten so handsome Sasuke-kun! I haven't truly seen you since the chunin exams!"

Sasuke smiled slightly. At the very least, his future mother-in-law liked him, "Thank you Namikaze-sama."

Kushina waved away the title as she directed the family into her living room, "Oh please Sasuke, I used to babysit you. Call me Kushina."  
"Well then, thank you Kushina."

The red-head just couldn't stop staring at the younger man, even as she addressed her eldest friend, "Mikoto, how dare you not tell me how handsome your son has gotten? I mean I heard the rumors, but I still can't believe they're all true!"

Mikoto giggled, "Ah yes, the rumors. Many girls have been, well lets say _enthusiastic_ about Sasuke ever since he returned from his training trip. Unfortunately my son is just not interested in even thinking about accepting one of the many dates he gets asked on. Really, at this rate I will never have grandchildren."

Sasuke's eye twitched in annoyance, "Mother, you still have Itachi."

Mikoto frowned, "Oh do not even get me started on that boy. He has been married for six years now, and still is not interested in having children!"

"Speaking of Itachi," Minato interjected before Kushina could go on her own rant about future grandchildren, "Where is the boy?"

Fugaku frowned, "Itachi had to stay behind to represent my interests in our weekly clan meeting."

"What of Naruto, where is the lovely young woman?" Mikoto inquired kindly.

Kushina looked around as if she had just noticed Naruto's absence, "Well she was here just a minute ago…"

"I'll go look for her," Minato spoke, making a move to stand up.

"No it's okay," Sasuke interrupted, "I'll go find her. Knowing her, she probably just lost track of time."

Not thinking much of it, Kushina nodded in agreement, "Why thank you Sasuke, it'll give us adults some time to talk. She's probably in her bedroom, upstairs, last door to the left."

Sasuke nodded in thanks as he made his way up to his fiancés room. He found her door wide open, allowing for him to peer inside. It was with a humored smile that he leaned on the entryway, crossing his arms as he watched his future wife dance around the room to no music. The bedroom was decorated exactly how he had always imagined: pale orange walls with white furniture, everything clean and meticulous as a shinobi was expected to be.

Of course, being a ninja and all, she immediately sensed his presence, turning quickly to look upon the amused countenance of her partner as he stared at her lithe form, "I never took you for a dancer, Dobe."

Naruto forced down the blush that threatened to color her cheeks, "Oh shut up, Teme. I'll have you know that you took forever to arrive, so I was just trying to pass the time."

"By dancing?"

"Yes."

"You've never been a fan of dancing before, what changed?"

"Nothing, like I said, I was just trying to pass time."

"By dancing?"

"Yes, we've covered this. I could write it down for you if you want."

"Are you sure it was to pass time? Not to release nervous tension?"

Naruto laughed awkwardly, "Nervous? What do I have to be nervous about? I'm not nervous!"

Sasuke chuckled, an eyebrow rising, "Oh _really_?"

"Yes, really," Naruto gritted.

He stalked towards her. Silently. Gracefully. "Are you sure you're not nervous?"

Naruto gulped, "Yes. I'm sure."

He lay his hand softly on her shoulder, his fingertips slowly running across the skin. Slowly, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, his hot breath sending goosebumps down her neck, "Then why is your heart bursting out of your chest?"

Naruto felt her eyes narrow in annoyance before pushing her fiancé away, "Because I'm afraid of catching whatever condition you have that makes you a Teme."

Sasuke laughed, "This is why I'm marrying you, you never fail to make me laugh."

"I hate you."

"Of course you do, Dobe. Of course you do."

Naruto giggled, before she professionally wiped away her smile, "You ready to face them?"

"Not yet," Sasuke admitted, reaching a hand into his pocket, "I'm sorry I couldn't have given this to you earlier, but I wanted to at least find the right one."

Naruto raised her hands to her mouth in surprise, stifling the shriek of shock that was sure to erupt. She had always made fun of those girls in books and movies who reacted the very same way in this type of situation, but as Naruto watched Sasuke slowly go down on one knee, she had to silently take back all of the insults she had muttered about them before.

"I know you already sort of agreed, and I already got on one knee, but I thought it was only right," Sasuke explained sheepishly, "Dobe… Will you marry me?"

Naruto grinned watching him, she never would have imagined ever being able to see Sasuke looking so vulnerable. Deciding to put the boy out of his misery, she nodded determinedly, "Yes, Teme. I'll be happy to marry you."

It was unfair how hot a smirk could make a man look, for Sasuke sure took advantage of that fact as he smoothly rose to his feet, gracefully slipping an elegant band onto her finger. Naruto eyed it curiously, and it was with surprise that she realized that she actually liked it. She was never a fan of jewelry, the life as a shinobi made most pieces quite impractical. However this ring was thin and solid gold, a single red ruby in the middle, surrounded by smaller orange-tinted gemstones. It was beautiful.

Sasuke smirked as he watched his fiancé admire the ring, "I thought you would have liked it."

Naruto raised her gaze to noticeably roll her eyes at the Teme. The ruby was a quite obvious nod to his sharingan, but the orange gemstones were admittedly a nice touch.

"I do like it," She admitted, "But you're still a Teme."

"A Teme you agreed to marry."

Naruto shuddered, "Don't remind me."

* * *

Minato was weary of the Uchiha's. They were a polite clan, social niceties having been drilled into their aristocratic countenance from an excruciatingly young age. However it was their general niceness which made Minato all the more weary.

No one could ever know what a Uchiha was _truly_ thinking. Their thoughts and opinions were locked away behind a cold smile and general apathy, impossible for anyone to take any notice of. Even now, as they say in the living room of his own home, exchanging meaningless pleasantries with his wife, Minato was at a lost about their intentions.

"We must say, we were quite surprised to have received an invitation for dinner. With all of our busy schedules, it has been quite a while since we have met so informally," Mikoto spoke inquisitively, taking a sip of her freshly brewed tea.

Kushina smiled, "Ah well, it is a shame we don't do this more often. We have been friends for too long to not meet up at least once in a while."

"So what changed? Why now of all times?" Mikoto asked, her eyebrow raised a bit in contemplation.

"To be completely candid," Kushina began, "It was not our idea. Naruto is the one who truly extended the invitation."

Minato watched silently as Fugaku chuckled, "Well let me guess, young Naruto wants to be Hokage, but needs the backing of a big clan."

The Fourth Hokage watched the features of the Uchiha's, hoping to get a glimpse of their true feelings and not the surface niceties which plagued their faces on a normal day. To no avail, they kept their emotions as tightly locked as always.

It was with a sigh that Minato answered, "As you are undoubtedly aware, the civilian council has recently made it near impossible for Naruto to succeed me in line for the hat. It would be remiss of her to not use any means she could in order to overturn their decision."

"So you want the Uchiha clan," Fugaku spoke slowly, "To show support in a candidate we have no intention of backing?"

Kushina withheld the urge to snarl as Mikoto placed a hand on her husbands arm. "What Fugaku means," Mikoto explained, "Is that the Uchiha clan cannot place support in a candidate without taking a prior election within our own council. Only then can we publicly support a shinobi outside of our own family. We only look to further our knowledge on Naruto, to truly see what she has to offer our village."

"Let's forget about all the politics for now," Kushina said with a pained smile, "We are old friends, let us use this dinner to reacquaint ourselves."

"I couldn't agree more, Kushina," Mikoto smiled.

* * *

"Ah there you two are! Right on time, we were just about to relocate ourselves to the dinner table," Kushina announced as she saw Naruto and Sasuke descend the stairs.

"Umm, about that," Naruto stammered nervously, shuffling as she stood next to Sasuke, "We sort of have something to tell you."

Minato quirked a brow. What could his daughter possibly have to say in front of the Uchiha's?

Naruto was sweating, the words she had practiced in front of the mirror sticking in her throat. Sasuke sighed as he grabbed her hand comfortingly. A move that none of the parents missed.

"Sasuke, what's going on?" Mikoto questioned, her eyes trained solely on the hand of her son which was intimately intwined with the beautiful blond jonin.

"We… Uh we… we…" Naruto muttered.

"Naruto?" Kushina prompted, looking between the two rapidly.

Sasuke himself needed to take a calming breath, and as he opened his mouth to deliver the news, Naruto quickly beat him to the punch, "We're engaged!"

Sasuke took a morbid sense of pleasure in watching his father choke on the tea that he was casually sipping only moments before. Mikoto was staring at the two in shock, her pale hand covering her mouth. Kushina was looking rapidly between the jonin, her mouth wide open. Minato, on the other hand, was just banging his head on the table repeatedly.

"I should have freaking known. Damn Uchiha's don't know how to keep their damn hands to their damn selves," Minato muttered to himself as he continued to bang his head.

"You're kidding. Please tell us your kidding," The mercurial Hokage questioned pleadingly once he stopped abusing his forehead.

Naruto winced, "No, we're not kidding. We really are engaged." At this, she raised her hand tentatively, showing the adults the new ring which ordained her hand.

Fugaku scowled deeply, " _How_ did this happen?"

Sasuke shrugged apathetically, "We've been dating for a while, and we both realized it was time."

Naruto nodded, "We want to spend the rest of our lives together, it was only natural for us to get engaged."

"You've been dating… for a while?" Kushina asked, her voice breaking.

Naruto's eyes widened. She didn't even think of this, "Mom, I swear I wanted to tell you! I wanted you to know, but… um…" She looked pleadingly at Sasuke.

"We kept it a secret," He explained, making it up as he went along, "Because at first we weren't quite sure what we were doing ourselves. We have spent so long hating each other, we wanted to be able to figure out our relationship without outside forces."

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed, "Plus, if we told you guys, then Dad would have stopped sending us on missions together."

Minato winced, "You mean all those times, on all those missions you took together to foreign, _romantic_ countries, you were dating?"

Naruto rolled her eyes, "We were professionals on a mission, Dad. Please don't start assuming stuff."

Mikoto eyed them wearily, "Sasuke? Do you love her?"

Sasuke looked at the small blond who was clasping his hand tightly, his gaze never straying from her clear blue eyes, "More than you could ever imagine."


End file.
